[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Chat Functionality with Jabber

[Reinier Post <rp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, Jun 07, 2002 at 11:36:51AM -0400, Adam Theo wrote:

> One result of this is Jabber can easily run on very old or restrictive 
> hardware. Not only can many Jabber conversations go on at once on 10 
> year old computers over a 28k modem line, but Jabber can also run on 
> PDAs and cellphones.

OK, this is very good.
 
> > Yes, but does Freeciv want to be a chat client?  How portable is this
> > Jabber software?  How expensive is it in size and bandwidth?
> 
> Jabber is the XML protocol. It is very modular and lightweight since you 
> choose what features and functionality to include in the protocol as you 
> use it. The only bloat it has is from the simple fact it is XML, which 
> is not the most streamlined of computer languages. Even with that, 
> Jabber is a fast, stable, and resource-easy platform. The post popular 
> server, JabberD (also called JOSS) [http://jabberd.jabberstudio.org], 
> can easily handle up to 100 users online at once over a ISDN line and on 
> regular desktop computer hardware. The jabber.org server handles an 
> average of 500+ users at once on decent server hardware (and I think the 
> website also runs on it, too). I can try to get hard stats, but this 
> should show that Jabber is more than able to keep up with FreeCiv's 
> small scale.

For chatting, Jabber looks like a very good idea.
For client/server gameplay, it probably isn't.

> > [...] Freeciv
> > as a plug-in to a chat system.  Some chatters would get
> > together, agree on the settings, and start a Freeciv game,
> > at which point everybody would get a Freeciv client and the
> > Freeciv server would start the game.  Does Jabber support this?
> 
> With a bit of programming work this can be done. The Jabber protocol 
> doesn't forbid it in any way, and is in fact extensible for reasons just 
> as this. The only work needed would be to get a couple of existing 
> Jabber clients to "recognize FreeCiv" and send, receive, and act on 
> commands it gets through chats.

Do they already "recognise" chess or some other game in this way?
I used to play chess on ICS and it had exact;ly the same problem
of mixing a fairly poor chat interface with generic game management
functions and chess-specific functions.  It would be nice to get the
chat functionality for free, and share the game management functions
with other games ias far as possible.  As far as the Jabber interface
is concerned, Freeciv should be equal to any other multiplayer game,
say, Risk or QUake.

This is just an idea, I can't actually help out with code here.

-- 
Reinier